The Oregon Ducks will play the Utah Utes in a Pac-12 game on Saturday afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Oregon bounced back from their loss to Washington with a double-digit win against Washington State, while Utah upset USC on the road.
Oregon Preview
The Oregon Ducks are 6-1 (3-1) this year after they defeated Washington State by a score of 38-24 last week. Oregon led 17-13 at the half and they controlled most of the second half for the win. The Ducks out gained Washington State by a total of 541-495 and went 5-10 on third downs. Oregon’s lone loss came on the road against Washington by a score of 36-33. The Oregon offense is averaging 47 points per game with 326.1 passing yards per game and 226.9 rushing yards per game, while going 53.1% on third downs. Bo Nix has thrown for 2,089 yards, 19 touchdowns, and one interception for the Ducks this season. Bucky Irving has rushed for 649 yards and seven scores, while Troy Franklin has caught 44 passes for 768 yards and eight touchdowns. The Oregon defense is allowing 17 points against per game this season.
Utah Preview
The Utah Utes are 6-1 (3-1) this season after they defeated USC by a score of 34-32 last week. Utah led 31-23 in the fourth quarter, but allowed USC to take a 32-31 lead with 1:46 left, before they won on a field goal as time expired. The Utes out gained USC by a total of 482-401 and both teams turned the ball over once. Utah’s lone loss came on the road against Oregon State by a score of 21-7. The Utah offense is scoring 23.4 points per game with 161.7 passing yards per game and 183.3 rushing yards per game, while going 36.5% on third downs. Bryson Barnes has thrown for 633 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions for the Utes this year. Ja’Quinden Jackson has rushed for 450 yards and one touchdown, while Mikey Matthews has caught 22 passes for 210 yards. The Utah defense is giving up 15 points against per game this year.
Utah Utes Team Facts
- Utah has won each of its last 13 games against conference opponents at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
- Utah has covered the spread in each of its last six October games as an underdog against AP-ranked teams.
- Utah has won the first half in each of its last four home games against conference opponents.
- Seven of Utah's last eight October games against AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
Oregon Ducks Team Facts
- The favorite has won 26 of Oregon's last 27 games.
- Oregon has covered the spread in each of its last four road games in October.
- Oregon has won the first half in five of its last six road games against conference opponents.
- Each of Oregon's last four games in October have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- Oregon rank 16th among FBS teams for points allowed per game this season (17.0).
- Oregon has recorded the equal-most home wins by a margin of 30+ points of any FBS team this season (3).
Pick
Utah is coming off of a great win on the road against USC, but can they get similar offensive production in this matchup. The Utes have struggled offensively for most of this season, but they have scored 34 points in each of the last two games. Oregon has one of the best offenses in the nation and they have scored a ton of points this year, but they will face a great Utah defense here. Utah has had a solid season, but I don’t think they match up very well against Oregon. Utah was able to move the ball on USC because they don’t play any defense, but Oregon is actually pretty good defensively. I also think the Oregon offense is going to have another big game and Utah won’t have the fire power to play catch up. Take the Ducks here.
AUTHOR: David Racey
